January 8, 2022 by Heather
I started this page 12 years ago. I have gone through a lot in the past 12 years. Divorce, marriage, 3 grandkids, empty nest, became a Type 1 diabetic who is also insulin resistant, and I’ve gained weight. A lot of weight. But I’m back. Back with new life goals.
My main goal for this year is to lose 100 pounds, gain back my body muscle and to use less insulin. I want to do it slow, steady and healthy. I am currently at 230 lbs way too much for my 5’2” frame. My BMI is at 42.1 which is obese. I want to lose 2lbs a week. I will be exercising daily and using MyFitnessPal to track my calories.
I will try to do a weekly update and if I come across any healthy food recipes I will post them. So here I go again!
Posted in Chit Chat | 5 Comments »
April 20, 2011 by Heather
Awesome Ribs
2 2 1/4- to 2 1/2-pound racks baby back pork ribs for 4 people (about a 1/2 rack per person )
Garlic powder to taste
Onion powder to taste
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice (2 cups per rack of ribs.)
1/2 bottle of your favorite BBQ Sauce
-Preheat oven to 350°F. Place long sheet of heavy-duty foil on each of 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Sprinkle rib racks on both sides with Garlic powder, Onion powder, salt and pepper. Place 1 rib rack on each foil sheet. Fold up sides of each foil sheet around rib rack to form boat-like shape. Pour 2 cups pineapple juice over each rib rack. Fold up foil to seal packets. Bake until ribs are tender, about 2 hours. Remove ribs from foil packets. Transfer to roasting pan; pour any juices from foil over and cool. (I put mine in the fridge for at least 2 hours to cool down)
Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate.
-Prepare grill (medium heat). Cut each rib rack in half. Grill until browned, brushing frequently with BBQ sauce and turning often, about 10 to 15 minutes. Eat!
These are even good without the BBQ sauce if you have someone like my youngest who does not like it.
Posted in Beef & Pork, Recipes | Tagged BBQ, food, Grilling, pork, Recipes, ribs | Leave a Comment »
April 14, 2011 by Heather
I have decided to try to come back to the blog world! I wanted something a little fresh so I thought I would start back up with this site, As The Scale Turns. This started out as my diet diary and in my opinion it failed. It was just plain boring to me to write down my meals and my exercise routine. So I am going to try something a little different.
The blog name is “As The Scale Turns” and I really like that title. But it is not just about the “Scale” that I step on and weigh myself with at least once a week. It is also about the “Scale” of life. How do I measure up in life? How do I measure up with my peers? How do I measure up with my co-workers? How do I measure up with my family? How do I measure up with myself?
So what am I going to do different here? Well I am going to write about my day, or week if I get super busy, and then I am going to try to tie it in with food. You know, What’s for dinner? Hopefully if I start talking about my food I will make better decisions and get back to being healthier.
I was looking back at one of my first posts on this blog, In This Corner, which was posted over a year ago. I was looking at my stats and I was actually surprised that over all I have not been as bad as I thought! I really thought I had gained a ton of weight over the past year but I have only put on 5 pounds. That puts me at 167 pounds, which trust me, I do not like but I can deal with it. My stress level has been very, very high since September and I have been working on that. My kids schedules and the fact that I have to take them everywhere they need to be has killed any type of exercise that I was doing and eating on the go has not been healthy for any of us. This is going to change, somehow, someway!
The Dinner Table:
For dinner tonight I went with Balsamic Vinegar Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Kabobs. The vegetable kabobs I cheated and bought premade at our grocery store. I also had a side of white rice for my youngest daughter who does not care for vegetables that much. Especially yucky, cooked vegetables!
Posted in Chit Chat | Tagged balsamic vinegar marinade, dieting, healthy eating, Life | 5 Comments »
February 8, 2010 by Heather
This is, in my opinion, the best ever gumbo. The gumbo mix we use is from Bailey’s Andouille in Lousiana. We order the Bailey’s Cajun Creole Gumbo Mix over the phone and they mail it to us. It is awesome!
Chicken Gumbo
1 – 3 lb. cubed chicken breasts
1 lb. Andouille or Smoked Sausage (cut into 1/4″ slices)
1/4 cup oil
2 – 14 oz. cans of chicken broth
1 pack of Bailey’s Cajun Creole Mix
2 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 doz. raw oysters (optional)
1 – 8 qt. pot
In an 8 quart pot fry chicken and Bailey’s Andouille in oil for about 15 minutes. Add 3qts, hot water and bring to a boil. Mix Roux with water from pot until it is soft and smooth. After Roux is mixed, add to boiling water in pot. Add 2 cans of chicken broth. Add Bailey’s Seasoning mix and 2 packs of spices. Add Worcestershire Sauce. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour. If desired, oysters should be added in the last 15 minutes of cooking. Skim axcess oil prior to serving, then add 1 tbs. file and seasoning if desired. Enjoy!
Serves over rice: 8 – 10 servings
Posted in Recipes, Soups & Stews | Tagged Andouille, Bailey's Andouille, chicken, Chicken Gumbo, Gumbo, Lousiana, Recipes | 1 Comment »
January 29, 2010 by Heather
Artichoke Tomato Salad
8 large tomatoes (about 2 pounds) cut into wedges
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 jar marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 can sliced ripe olives, drained
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
Directions
Arrange tomatoe wedges on a large serving platter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Spoon over tomatoes. Refrigerate the leftovers.
Nutritional Facts
Per serving: 3/4 cup
Calories: 74
Fat: 5 g (1 g sat)
Cholesterol: 0
Sodium: 241 mg
Carbohydrates: 7 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 1 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 vegetables, 1 fat
Serving Size: 8
Posted in Recipes, Vegetables | Tagged Artichoke Tomato Salad, diet, dieting, food, healthy eating, Recipes, salad | 5 Comments »
January 28, 2010 by Heather
I normally do not watch Oprah. It’s not that I don’t like her or her show but her show is own during Homework time. It is just impossible for me to help with 5th grade Division and 11th grade American History and watch the Oprah Winfrey show at the same time. My brain can only do so much at once.
Yesterday I had a rare homework free afternoon and I just happened to turn on Oprah. I only caught about 15 minutes of her show but I loved what I saw. She had Michael Pollan on and he was talking about his new book Food Rules. He had simple rules that just made common sense!
I went looking this morning for more information on him and I ran across this article, Michael Pollan Discusses Food Inc Documentary on Oprah Winfrey TV Show. They listed a few of his Food Rules:
#2 – Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
#7 – Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third grader cannot pronounce.
#13 – Only eat foods that will eventually rot.
#39 – You can eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself. If you want French fries, cook them yourself.
One thing I heard him say was about how diets really don’t work. He said, “When you cut out one thing, like fat, you end up eating more processed carbohydrates. This may have led to our obesity epidemic.”
I am in need of a new book to read right now so I am going to see if my library has this book yet. If not I just might go splurge and by it!
Posted in Chit Chat | Tagged Chit Chat, diet, dieting, exercise, food, Food Rules, healthy eating, Michael Pollan, Oprah | 2 Comments »
January 19, 2010 by Heather
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts or 4 pork chops
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
garlic powder to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion finely chopped
1 can of mushrooms or sliced mushrooms
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 ¼ cups milk
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use cooking spray to oil a baking dish.
- Rub meat with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, add meat and brown on both sides. Remove from skillet and place in baking dish. Place onions in skillet and cook until slightly done and then add mushrooms and continue to cook until done. Pour in mushroom soup and milk; stir until blended. Pour mixture over meat in baking dish.
- Bake, covered, for 30 minutes in preheated oven. Uncover, and bake 30 minutes more.
Note: You can add sliced uncooked potatoes to the bottom of the baking dish for an all in one meal and cook as directed above.
Posted in Beef & Pork, Chicken, Recipes | Tagged chicken, diet, dieting, food, healthy eating, mushrooms, pork, Recipes | 1 Comment »
January 13, 2010 by Heather
“A delicious chilled salad of white kidney (cannellini) beans and shrimp with a zesty herbed dressing. This may be eaten immediately, but is best when left refrigerated several hours, or overnight.”
Ingredients:
|
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
|
1/4 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
|
1 (15 ounce) can white kidney (cannellini) beans, drained and rinsed
1 roma (plum) tomato, diced
Directions:
| 1. |
In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, oil, sugar, cilantro, basil, and tarragon until well blended. You may adjust these seasonings to your personal preference. |
| 2. |
In a separate bowl, toss together the beans, tomato, onion, and shrimp. Pour dressing over salad, and toss again to coat. |
| 3. |
Cover and refrigerate several hours, or overnight, to develop flavors. |
DETAILED NUTRITION
| Serving Size |
1/4 of a recipe |
| Servings Per Recipe |
4 |
|
| Amount Per Serving |
|
| Calories |
299 |
| Calories from Fat |
134 |
|
| |
% Daily Value * |
| Total Fat 14.9g |
23 % |
| ** Saturated Fat 2.1g |
11 % |
| Cholesterol 166mg |
55 % |
| Sodium 410mg |
16 % |
| ** Potassium 226mg |
6 % |
| Total Carbohydrates 18g |
6 % |
| Dietary Fiber 4.4g |
18 % |
| Protein 22.1g |
44 % |
| ** Sugars 1.7g |
|
| ** Vitamin A |
7 % |
| ** Vitamin C |
8 % |
| ** Calcium |
9 % |
| ** Iron |
43 % |
| ** Thiamin |
4 % |
| ** Niacin |
50 % |
| ** Vitamin B6 |
8 % |
| ** Magnesium |
11 % |
| ** Folate |
4 % |
| |
| * |
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. |
| |
| ** |
Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. |
|
|
1/4 red onion, diced
3/4 pound cooked tiny shrimp
|
Posted in Recipes, Seafood, Vegetables | Tagged Cannellini Shrimp Salad, diet, dieting, food, healthy eating, Recipes, salad, shrimp, white kidney beans | 4 Comments »
January 12, 2010 by Heather
Fresh Tomato Salsa
| Prep Time: 10 Minutes |
Ready In: 1 Hour 10 Minutes |
| Servings:4 |
|
|
“Finely chopped Serrano chilies make this salsa nippy and nice. Combine with tomatoes, onions, cilantro and lime juice, and this salsa is ready for dipping.”
Ingredients:
| 3 tomatoes, chopped1/2 cup finely diced onion
5 Serrano chiles, finely chopped |
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice |
Directions:
| 1. |
In a medium bowl, stir together tomatoes, onion, chili peppers, cilantro, salt, lime and lemon juice. Chill for one hour in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition
InformationServings Per Recipe: 4
Calories: 51 |
Amount Per Serving
- Total Fat: 0.2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 592mg
|
Amount Per Serving
- Total Carbs: 9.7g
- Dietary Fiber: 3.7g
- Protein: 2.1g
|
|
I love Fresh Salsa and I have been trying to find a good recipe for years. This one works great! I add the chile to taste and when I can’t find the Serrano I use 1 to 2 small Jalapeno peppers. The original recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of lime juice but I like to use 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of lime juice.
You can also have this recipe chunky or smooth. I like the chunky version because then it feels like I am actually eating something!
Posted in Recipes, Vegetables | Tagged diet, dieting, food, Fresh Salsa, healthy eating, Recipes, Tomato Salsa | 2 Comments »
January 6, 2010 by Heather
Balsamic Vinegar Marinade
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons of basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons of garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
In a large resealable plastic bag add chicken and then pour all ingredients into it. Seal bag and mix it all together to coat chicken; refrigerate for up to 1 hour. Preheat grill. Drain and discard marinade. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.
Any leftover chicken it is great on a salad the next day.
Posted in Chicken, Recipes | Tagged balsamic vinegar marinade, chicken, healthy eating, Recipes | Leave a Comment »
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